Barcelona is looking to offload this unwanted Brazilian in the Summer of 2022


Barcelona is looking to offload this unwanted Brazilian in the Summer of 2022

Barcelona currently has Marc Andre ter Stegen doing a decent job between the sticks. Even so, they are concerned about his form and might offload a goalkeeper to bring in another one. The GK who will be reportedly offloaded is Noberto Neto. He was brought in a swap deal for Jasper Cillesen because the latter wanted more game time.

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On 27 June 2019, it was announced that Neto would move to Barcelona for €26m plus €9m in add-ons. One day earlier, Barcelona backup goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen left Barcelona for €35m to take Neto’s spot as the starting goalkeeper for Valencia.

On 10 December 2019 Neto played the full 90 minutes as Barca knocked Inter Milan out of the 2019-20 UEFA Champions League. Neto played in Barcelona’s first six league games and three of the six UEFA Champions League group stage matches in the absence of first-choice keeper Marc-André ter Stegen, who was out with a knee injury until the end of October. This season though, he has started in only 3 games, when ter Stegen was out due to injury

Reasons to offload the Barcelona GK:

Norberto Neto during training.

He has a significant contract which makes him more money than Pedri and Fati, who are the rising stars of the team. He might be offloaded so that Barca can extend other contracts.

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Also, the 32-year-old has never really got an extended run in the starting XI, barring the period when ter Stegen was out on the sidelines due to injuries. In close to three years at the club, Neto has featured just 20 times to date and has been angling for an exit for some time now.

Barcelona will look to sell the Brazilian shot-stopper at the end of the season as per Barca Universal. In case they fail to find a buyer for him, the La Liga bigwigs will terminate his contract and release him. The club would pay him a part of his remaining contract, which runs until the summer of 2023.

The move would make sense for both parties involved in case there are no suitors, as Barça will be clearing out a player that they have no need for. As for Neto, as iterated earlier, he has been trying to secure an exit for some time now in search of a club where he can play regularly.

Even if Barcelona does not sign a new goalkeeper, Inaki Pena, who is out on loan at Galatasaray, and Arnau Tenas are waiting in the wings to step in.

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Also read: Who is Txus Alba, Barcelona’s newest La Masia gem?